UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP OF THE DAY The Besemah of Indonesia Population: 740,000 99.9% Muslim Few Believers The Besemah of Indonesia are an energetic and enthusiastic people of 740,000 with only a handful of believers among them. On the Besemah plateau, there are 26 historical sites that have been considered holy since before 100 A.D. Enormous stones were sculpted into amazing forms such as soldiers riding elephants, a man wrestling with a snake monster, and ocean waves. Although Muslim, the Besemah still use these large statues as places for making sacred pledges, calling out to their ancestors' spirits to give blessings, and for protection from misfortune.
Nehemiah healthy walls
Nehemiah 8 1all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.
No nation has ever survived the death of its gods.
Hungrily Worshiping at the Water Gate!
Hebrews 5 11-14I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you've picked up this bad habit of not listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one baby's milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago!
Nehemiah 8 So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men & women & all who were able to understand. 3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women & others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
Nehemiah 8 So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men & women & all who were able to understand. 3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women & others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
John 5:1-6 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3Here a great number of disabled people used to lie the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirtyeight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, Do you want to get well?
Nehemiah 8 4 Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.
Nehemiah 8 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands & responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down & worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
Cheap Grace vs Costly Grace
They Nehemiah 8 7The Levites - Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. 8 read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.
Nehemiah 8 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest & scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
Nehemiah 8 Nehemiah said, "Go & enjoy choice food & sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." 11 The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve."
Genesis 3:8-10 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, Where are you? He answered, I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.
Nehemiah 8 Then all the people went away to eat & drink, to send portions of food & to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.
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